Getting off Nexium

Hi everyone,  I have not posted on here for a very long time, but am struggling with stopping my Nexium.  I have tried in the past with no success but I am bound and determined this time.  I have been on Nexium or some sort of PPI for probably 15 years.  I don't really have any side effects from it other than I can't lose weight no matter how hard I try.  I have gone from 40 mg. 1/da. to 20 mg. 1/da for the last 3 years and for the most part it has worked with occasional break through if I eat wrong.  I have had things like lump in the throat, refluxing my entire meal and other episodes but only on occasion.  I am a young 63 and am looking forward to retirement in July.  With all the latest info in the media about Nexium and B12 and calcium absorption I have decided to once again try to get off this.  I quit cold turkey about 6 days ago and that was not the thing to do, I had to take a nexium yesterday.  I saw my Dr. today and he said I would never be able to get off it but if I wanted to try I should wean myself off that was all he had to say.  So I am gonna try every other day for a couple of weeks, and use the DGL, digestive enzymes, ACV/honey and a probiotic.  My question is should I take some of those things on the day I take nexium or just on the days when I'm not on the nexium.  I don't know if there are any interactions with the meds and these natural products.  Also has anyone had any experience with Marshmallow root?  I don't take all of the above all the time just if I am having a particularly bad day.  This is a wonderful site and it is so helpful knowing that others have been successful in getting off PPI's.  I suspect I have a vit. B12 deficiency as well as anemia and will know more in the next couple of days as I had blood tests today. I know my story is not anywhere near as awful as some of yours but I guess for me it is the fact that I am getting to the age where immune systems and odds of getting cancers, etc. is increasing and I want to do what I can to keep my risks as low as possible.  I would appreciate any suggestions anyone might have on this subject.   Thank you.  magautch

Hi ScottL....Thanks for the encouragement. How did you ever get anyone to prescribe the 10mg. nexium, I had to beg my GI dr. to let me go to 20mg. He said it wouldn't work. I think I need to find new drs., my regular doc said I would never be able to get off it. I think they should read some of these boards. Diet is a big issue while getting off this. I have always been a very healthy eater, fish, veggies, and fruit and meat once in a while, my big problem was I love Dove Dark Chocolate, coffee and tea. I have had to give up all of that but it will be well worth it if I can get off Nexium, I'm so afraid I have ruined my stomach having been on this for so long. We'll see I guess. I am making an appt. with GI doc with the hopes that he will scope me and look for stomach polyps. I have only had 3 scopes over the years and luckily had no issues except inflammation and my weakened LES, have a small hiatal hernia. Today was the day I took a nexium, I'm doing every other day and felt better yesterday on just the DGL, Enzymes and ACV. Good luck to you and keep us posted on your progress.

I accidentally came across this forum and registered on here just so you can hear this.
I was seeing a doctor who was presribing me nexium and after taking it for over a year she started decreasing my dose and told me to take it every other day. A GERD professor in the same hospital found out about it and yelled at the doctor because she told me to take it every other day. According to him you should not be taking this medicine every other day if you are trying to quit the drug. You are supposed to decrease your dose to once a day with the smallest mg and then drop the drug completelt and switch to an antiacid medicine such as "pepsan R" which is to be taken up to 6 times per day after food as needed.
But keep in mind, that if u have high acidity, you will be running back to nexium every 3-4 months (either from stress or improper diet). So once you are off it, it is best to find a drug that neutralizes the acid instead of preventing it from being produced with an antiacid.
If u got hpilori - then just fight it and kill the virus in ur system (make sure that noone in your immediate family has it either because they will give it right back to you)
If your body is producing acid on its own without hpilori, then you will have to live with taking an antiacid because there is really nothing new discovered in that field.

But don't skip days when quitting nexium - its like quitting smoking and then giving yourself a cigarette once a week.
You are making yourself resistant to the drug but are not letting it help you, so next time you start using it again you will need a stronger dose.

I was able to get off the medicine by decreasing to the smallest possible dose and then completely dropped it. I used Pepsan R to help with the acidity, but eventually I completely stopped taking the anti acids. Of course once in a while I get moments where I have to take nexium for a couple of weeks. This usually happens after a serious night of drinking. about 1-2 weeks to recover, and then just drop nexium completely once again. It is not that addictive, so don't be concentrated on that.
Most important is the diet NOT nexium- so when you are off anti acids, you have to be careful with overeating, fatty foods, alcohol, chocolate, snacks, carbonated drinks.
After - you slowly build up your tollerance just like a new born baby. Plus use digestive enzymes - they help

There is metazyme which does not contain any pancreatin and wobenzyme that does.
They are pretty harmless u just need to figure out what dose to take.
Wobenzyme is sold in the vitamin shop as a supplement for training, but it is great to help digestion. It is a german brand.

My only advice is to get a good nutritionist. Doctors will feed you pills, it is their field of study. Our digestive system relies on what we take in, therefore, most important is what we eat and how we eat it.

I have got off ppis earlier this year because of side effects. However, I am now back on a ppi because it turned out my gastritis was making me anaemic and I was feeling so unwell from that, that I had no choice to resume taking the Lansoprazole (my haemoglobin goes back up when I take the ppi). I did, however, manage to get off ppis at one point, just using Zantac. Each time I tried I got acid rebound at the 10 day mark. I'd love to try again but I can't chance the anaemia at the moment. The biggest issue for me is that no one has identified a cause for the gastritis, so I'm stuck.

I currently take marshmallow root because it's supposed to be good for cystitis which I also have. I haven't noticed any benefit tho. DGL helps a bit but I haven't used it much since being back on Lansoprazole.

good luck with your drug free trial !

MMM

Hi All,

I've been taking Nexium for about 3 months now. I'm 42 years old, 185cm, 74kg, fairly fit, and had severe chest pains about 3 months ago, went to ER where they said heart was all good and gave me Nexium.

I had heart ultrsound, running ECG, heart seemed fine, then was put on Nexium, which reduced the heart pain. Over the weeks there was still daily pain and discomfort, but now lower down under my ribs and around my stomach. H Pylori test was negative.

I'm going in for colonoscopy and endoscopy next week.

I stopped taking nexium four days ago and have had severe headaches in the morning every day since I stopped taking it. It starts about 7-8 am and goes on till about 10-11am. Unbelievable, smashing migraine! I think its because I was taking the Nexium in the morning and now my body is not getting it. Am I right? Has anyone ever suffered this?

I've never suffered from migraine before.

Yaz

I have been on nexium for over 10 years. I am afraid to quit because I have had Barrett's. I have not been good about my diet and have not had a reoccurance of a lesion until now. I love my coffee and just found a coffee that is70 percent acid free (puroast). This does not bother me at all. I went to the health food store and asked the professional to recommend something that will heal my erosion. He recommended DLG which is licorice extract. I take one 20 min. before I eat. It seems to be helping. I am going to look into the orthoscopic proceedure to fix the weak sphincter at the base of the esophagus. Even though I am elevated in bed the acid backs up because the sphincter never closes completely. I would love to get off proton pump inhibitors for good.